Since exploding on the scene, [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Nicki Minaj[/lastfm] established herself as one of the most sought after collaborators in hip hop today. Now she’s ready to show that she’s more than just a featured artist on one some of the hottest tracks today with her new album Pink Friday.

Pink Friday is a collection of tracks that take into account Nicki Minaj’s delectable talents as an MC, however, the overall nature of the album lacks the ability to work as a cohesive piece and ultimately falls flat.

The tracks themselves are first rate and Nicki has the innate ability to demonstrate that she can change who she is and how she raps in order to breathe life into a track, which is exactly what she did with the tracks “Here I Am,” “Roman’s Revenge,” and “Right Thru Me.” In this way, each track is brilliant on it’s own.

“Roman’s Revenge” is clearly the standout track and it’s hard to tell if it’s clearly due to the fact that Nicki’s inception of the character Roman is ill, or because [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Eminem[/lastfm] actually carries the track even though he is a featured artist.

It’s hard to say because the entire song is actually executed very precisely, but I have to ask if I would have listened to it so many times if Nicki had carried the entire song on her own, or if she even could carry a song of that magnitude on her own.

Still, there are moments of genius and “Your Love” is a clear example of what Nicki Minaj is not only capable of, but the potential she has as a major player in becoming the First Lady of hip hop which are highlighted by lyrics like:

I mean he was Adam, I think I was Eve But my vision ends with the apple on the tree

Really lay out Nicki’s talents on the mic without sacrificing the femininity needed to sell lyrics like that to an audience. It’s hard to sell a love song when paired up against some truly hard tracks, but Nicki has the ability transform not only her voice but her whole being adding a genuine sense of authenticity that legitimizes songs.

The problem with Pink Friday isn’t Nicki Minaj or any of her collaborators, but rather the fact that the album is a collection of singles that work on their own, but not as a whole. Perhaps, it’s the fact that Nicki has established herself as the court jester of hip hop, when she should have approached this project under the pretense of being queen bee.